Three goals by Jason Nemeth and a sudden death game winner from Ricky Gomez propelled the Illinois hockey club to a sweep of No. 1 Penn State this weekend. The Illini won 5-4 in overtime on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday to upend the Nittany Lion Icers.

No. 2 Illinois (6-0-0) swept the Icers for the first time since 2003 and preserved its perfect record. The Illini will likely assume the top spot in the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s next coaches’ poll due out this Friday.

While defeating the Icers is a major boost to the Illini’s confidence in pursuing a national title, head coach Chad Cassel downplayed the ranking, acknowledging that a long season lies ahead.

“You want to be number one in the middle of March,” said Cassel, referring to the ACHA National tournament at season’s end. “Nobody remembers who’s number one right now.”

The matchup of the top two teams in club hockey met all expectations on Friday, as four third-period goals sent the game into a 4-on-4 sudden death period. The game was a mere 18 seconds away from a shootout until Gomez found the net for the first time this season as the crowd erupted.

“I put it on net, and it happened to go in,” the senior defenseman said. “It led us into (Saturday) with a lot of momentum.”

The Illini earned the sweep in game two by capitalizing on Penn State’s penalties. Three power play scores, including two 5-on-3 goals, proved to be the difference in a game the Illini controlled from the outset. Goaltender DJ Kohler, making his third start of the year after Mike Burda gave up four goals on Friday, had what Cassel described as an “outstanding” performance, making 32 saves and allowing only one score. Penn State had been averaging seven goals per game entering the series.

The Illini were outshot in a series for the first time this season, as the Icers put 61 shots on goal to counter Illinois’ 60. The Illini’s scoring efficiency despite the lack of shots came from capitalizing on miscues by the visitors.

“We were moving the puck well, and it was clicking,” Cassel said. “The guys were making the easy plays and not trying to do too much.”

Nemeth also took advantage of power plays, scoring two of his three goals with Penn State a man down.

“I have great linemates, great teammates,” Nemeth said. “They set me up really well.”

Going into the series, the Ice Arena rink, which is about 40 feet wider than Penn State’s home ice, was seen as an important factor for the Illini. A roomier rink places a greater emphasis on speed and puck movement than an average arena.

“It’s definitely an adjustment when you’re coming in and playing on an ice surface this wide,” Cassel said. “But (Penn State) skated pretty well.”

While more ice meant more space than the Icers were accustomed to, it still didn’t affect the quality of play.

“We practice on it every day, so it’s definitely an advantage,” Gomez said. “But at the same time, it’s still ice. It’s still hockey.”

Illinois will take its undefeated record to St. Charles, Mo., next week as Central States Collegiate Hockey League conference play opens with one game at Lindenwood. While the Illini will probably have the top ranking in the country in tow, nothing has been accomplished yet.

“We’ve just got to continue to get better,” Cassel said. “We’re still a long ways away from where we need to be. Two good wins, but we’ve got a lot of work left to do.”